| Allied Health World Home | Medical Technologist | |
Clinical Laboratory Scientist Salary
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: March, 5 2010
Find the right school for you
What is the average medical technologist salary?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for medical technologists in May 2006 was approximately $50,000. The middle 50 percentile of medical techs earned between $41,000 and $59,000. Those working in medical and diagnostic labs tended to make slightly higher salaries than those working at hospitals.Are medical technologist jobs in high demand?
If you are looking for job stability, you will definitely find it in the field of medical technology. According to Becky Brtva, medical
technologist at a hospital in central Illinois, the average age of a lab tech is 50 years old. This means that in five to ten years when these individuals retire, there will be a huge need for medical technologists. According to Brtva, “At the same time there will be an influx in the amount of work to be done because of the baby boomer generation being retired. In my hospital (which is small) we probably had at least one to two positions open in the past 3 years and we have not been able to find anyone to fill them.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that employment in the clinical lab setting is projected to grow 14 percent between 2006 and 2016. While hospitals will continue to be an employer for medical technologists, the bulk of the job growth is expected in diagnostic laboratories and physicians’ offices.
Is there room for advancement in the field?
There is definitely room to advance as a medical technologist. Most medical technologists working at hospitals start out as generalists, which means they cover the lab needs of many departments. As individuals advance in this field they tend to specialize in one area or department. There are also additional certification exams offered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology to become further credentialed. These include specializations in Blood Banking SBB(ASCP), Chemistry SC(ASCP), Cytotechnology SCT(ASCP), Hematology SH(ASCP), Laboratory Safety SLS(ASCP), Microbiology SM(ASCP), and Pathologists’ Assistant PA(ASCP).Also, there is the administrative side of the field where one could become a supervisor, manager, or director of a lab. Oftentimes for those interested in pursuing managerial positions in a lab they may further their education by earning an MBA or some degree with a focus on the business side. There are a few master’s degree programs in medical technology available as well. Other ways to advance would be to become a teacher of medical technology programs or work for one of the accreditation agencies. Medical technologists may also chose to pursue administrative jobs in public health. There are also positions available in sales and marketing for manufacturers of laboratory equipment and supplies.
